The Adventures of Meredith Stone
by Eggy-Monster
Summary: Young Meredith Stone wishes to become an adventurer, and may get her wish when a certain Professor rescues her from a gang of thugs.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: I am really bored and I though of this OC. She faintly resembles...someone I know. But it's not me, my hair's red!**

I ran as fast as I could and pushed through the crowd.

"Hey, get back here!" Those mean looking guys were still chasing me. I had never been so scared in my whole life. I had taken some money from one of their pockets and they had caught me. Now, I was running from them through downtown London. I weaved in-between bigger people, adults, who yelled and jumped away behind me as the thugs pushed them aside.

I ran faster, a stitch in my side as I struggled to keep breathing. I turned down an alley in an attempt to lose them. I came to a stop as I stared up at a dirty brick wall. Dead end! I turned and saw the thugs enter the alley, laughing.

"Nowhere to run now, eh Missy?" My heart sped up and I turned, desperately looking for a way out. The biggest thug approached and lifted me up by the front of my shirt. I struggled, but it was no use. He was too strong. He grinned and pulled back his fist, winding up for a punch. I closed my eyes and turned my head, waiting for the blinding pain.

"Enough!" Someone yelled out. The thugs whirled around, except for the one holding me. I opened one of eyes very slowly. There was a man standing at the opening of the alley. He was wearing a top hat.

"What are you doing with my daughter?" I was surprised, to say the least. My own father had passed away over three years ago. Why was this man calling me his daughter?

"Uh, your...daughter?" The guy holding me asked. The top hat man crossed his arms and frowned.

"Yes, my daughter. I demand that let her down at once!" The big guy scratched his head and slowly lowered me to the ground.

"But she stole money right out of our pockets! We wasn't gonna do nothin' to her, honest. Just scare 'er a bit!" This guy was intimidated, I could tell. Top hat guy walked towards me.

"Keisha, you are in big trouble, do you understand? Now, give this man his money back. At once." ow I was even _more _confused! My name wasn't Keisha! But the man winked at me, and I figured he had a plan. So, I did what I had to. I bit my lip and shoved my hand into the pocket of my overalls. I fished around and pulled out the wad of bills. I handed them over to the biggest thug, the one I had stolen from. He took the money and counted the pounds. Honestly, did he think I would cheat him in front of my "dad"?

"Good girl." Top hat guy said, ruffling my hair. Then he turned to the group of thugs. "I hope you won't even think about coming near my daughter again. I won't hesitate to call the police next time." The thugs nodded, mumbled a "Sorry..." and ran out of the alley. I looked up at top hat guy and stared. He had brown, messy hair that fell into his eyes, which were chocolate brown colored. He smiled.

"Sorry to confuse you like that. I couldn't think of a better way. Come, I'll take you home." I bit my lip again and stared down at my shoes, shifting my feet uncomfortably.

"Well...about that. I don't really have a home. I'm an orphan." He made a sympathetic face.

"So, shall I take you to the orphanage?" I shook my head. I was trying to stall as long as possible.

"Why not? You do live there, don't you?" I sighed. It was time to come clean.

"Well...I _do _live in an orphanage. Just not in London. In...Hamburg." There was a rumble of thunder in the distance and little drops of rain began to fall.

"I think it would be best of we talked, while we walked. You will come home with me for tonight." I nodded. If he had saved me from the thugs, I figured I could trust him. I ran underneath his umbrella and huddled closer to him.

"I live in St. Peter's Orphanage in Hamburg. I used to, anyways. I ran away." Top hat guy looked surprised.

"In Hamburg? But did a young girl like you manage to get to London, all on your own?" I smiled.

"I'm a bit craftier than I look, sir. I waited until my nurse was asleep, and then I swiped some money from her purse. Only enough for a train ticket. Then I just...left. Climbed out the window and slept at the train station, until my train arrived. I rode it all the way to London and...here I am now." Top hat guy was the confused one now.

"And...you took money from the thugs...to?" I frowned and stared at the ground.

"That's how I pay for my food. Steal from the rich, or stupid, in their case." He laughed slightly. "I know stealing is wrong, but I did it only because I had to. I'm too young to get a job, and I can't go back to that orphanage." There was a very long moment of silence after that. I watched the cars go by, spraying water onto the curb as they passed. People walked past, carrying umbrellas of different sizes and shapes. In this dim light, however, everything looked blue, purple and gray, all dark tones of each color. It was pretty, in a special sort of way.

"If you don't mind my asking...why can't you return to the orphanage?" I sighed and stared at the cars.

"Because, no one understands me there. They all make fun of me and I want my own life. A life of adventure!" I said, thumping my chest with a flat hand. He smiled and chuckled.

"Well, then. You'll like staying here with me." I was curious. Was he an explorer?

"Are _you _an explorer?" I asked, eyes wide and mouth open. He gave a funny little crooked grin.

"Of sorts." I faced forward and tried to take in everything that had just happened. I was going to live with top hat guy for the night, and he was an adventurer! Of sorts. I wondered what his house would look like. I hoped it would be African styled, like all of those other adventurers you read about in magazines and on the telly. I imagined African tribal masks and spears hanging on the walls, with zebra skin couches and tall, exotic plants everywhere.

We walked a for a few more minutes until we stopped in front of a little house. It was a bit shabby and much smaller than I had imagined. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a ring of keys. Sticking the longest one into the keyhole, he unlocked the door and opened it for me.

"Welcome to my humble abode." He said, with a little laugh. I walked inside and turned on the lights. It was definitely not what I had expected. Instead of zebra skin couches, there was a cozy looking brown one, pushed into the corner. There were two armchairs, one of them a light brown color and the other a cheery yellow. I liked the yellow one. There was a big bookshelf, full to bursting. I nodded at it in approval. I loved books.

I turned the corner and walked into the kitchen. It was small and clean, with a little round table situated in the middle. There were six chairs around it. Six people in the family. I wondered if one of them was a girl my age. There was an old-fashioned gas stove and a big white refrigerator, which were clean and worn. I liked it almost at once.

When I walked back into the tiny hall, top hat guy was hanging up his jacket and placing his umbrella in the little stand beside the coat rack.

"Well, what do you think?" I smiled.

"It's wonderful!"

**A/n: Important!**

**OC name: Meredith Stone.**

**Age: around 13**

**Gender: Female (duh)**

**So that's some basic information about Meredith. I will update as soon as possible, so long as people want me to. Other Layton characters will be included in the next chapter.**

**Review please.**

**MikuLover~**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: I am so glad that you guys like Meredith! Any of you are free to use her, but you must credit. I'll be gone for a while, and probably won't have access to a computer. I'll try to write in the plane, but my laptop is kinda crappy (it's hard to upload even now XD) So anywhoo, please enjoy this next chapter!**

Top hat guy smiled at me and laughed. "I'm glad. This is your home for tonight, if you're alright with that dear." I nodded. He seemed nice, and if he had a family, I was sure he wouldn't hurt me. There was something else about him too. He seemed too gentlemanly to want to hurt me.

"By the way," I said, peering at all of the photos on the fireplace banister. "What's your name?" He smacked himself in the forehead. A face-palm, I do believe it's called.

"Oh, please forgive me. How very un-gentlemanly of me. My name is Professor Hershel Layton. But you can call me Professor." I smiled. Hershel Layton. It had a nice ring to it. And, it sounded familiar.

"And your name, my dear?" I stood tall and proud, feet spread apart.

"Meredith Abigail Stone! Adventurer extraordinaire!" He chuckled and closed his eyes.

"Well, Meredith, it's a pleasure to meet you." He kissed my hand and my cheeks flushed. No one had ever treated me like a lady before!

"I-uh, thank you. P-pleasure to meet you too sir." He laughed.

The front door swung open, and in came five people. The first one was a tall, thin woman. She wore a yellow khaki dress, with a funny little bow-tie around her neck. She was holding grocery bags and seemed to be arguing with someone.

Next came a young man, tall and skinny. He had a navy blue jacket on and beige pants. He was incredibly handsome and looked like the one who was arguing with the yellow woman.

After him came a girl with short, purple hair. Her eyes were bright green, and she was holding onto the skinny man's hand. She looked upset.

Lastly, two kids followed in. One was a little girl, who looked about my age. She had a funny little curl in her bangs and she was wearing a, ugh, pink dress with knee-high boots. The last one in was the little boy, again, looking around my age. He had on a blue sweater and green shorts, with a blue cap on. His hair stuck up in the back, like a little duck-tail.

"Look, Clive! Get your own car then!" The yellow woman huffed. She walked right past me into the kitchen. The girl with purple hair followed.

"Katia!" The man named Clive tried to grab onto her hand, but he missed. He ran into the kitchen after her. The boy in blue shuffled his feet uncomfortably and stared at the ground. The little girl giggled slightly and pinched the boy's cheek.

Professor Layton sighed. "Well, welcome to the Layton house, where nothing is ever boring."

**A/n: What a way to welcome Meredith, huh? Review if you read and stay tuned! I'll be back, suckers! :)**

**MikuLover~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for not updating in an extremely long time, but I have popular series, and I generally update the popular ones more often. Sorry. :)**

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><p>Mr. Layton tapped the little pink-girl on the shoulder. "Flora, we have a guest I think you'll be happy to meet." She looked up at him, and then at me, where Mr. Layton was pointing. Her mouth fell open slightly, and I waved to her, albeit a little awkwardly.<p>

"Hey, who are you?" The blue-boy walked up to me and shook my hand. At least he was straightforward.

"Meredith Stone, adventurer extraordinaire. Who are you?" The boy smiled.

"Luke Triton, apprentice number one. Great to meet you Meredith. Are you going to stay at our house?" I nodded.

"Yes, but only for the night. Professor reckons he knows someone who will take me in." Luke's eyes widened.

"You mean to say you're an orphan?" I nodded again. "Sorry to hear that, you must have lived in a horrible orphanage to have run away like that." I froze. How did he know I had run away?

"You're not wearing a uniform. London Orphanage makes the orphans wear uniforms." He said, practically reading my thoughts.

"Oh, I just assumed you were some kind of creepy stalker." He laughed and shook his head. Mr. Layton gave the pink-girl a push forwards, and Luke backed off to let her meet me. She blushed and walked forward, eyes aimed towards the ground.

"I-I'm Flora. Pleasure t-to meet you." She said this rather quickly, and then stuck a hand out. I could tell this girl had none of the charm that Luke did. She was more shy than my friend Billy, and that's saying something.

"Hi, I'm Meredith." I said, and then I hit a roadblock. I didn't know what else to say to her. Well, what did you say to a girl who won't even look at you?

"Flora dear, why don't you bring Meredith up to see your room?" Professor asked gently. Flora nodded and took my hand, leading me quickly up the stairs.

She stopped in the hallway and entered the second door to the right.

The walls in the room were pink- ugh. But the rest was quite charming.

There was a little bed with a white quilt and the foot of the bed seemed to be a bookshelf. Upon closer examination, I found it was crammed with books. Anyone who has a full bookshelf is someone who can be trusted in my book- no pun intended. The window was open, and the sound of rain filled the room. It somehow made me feel calm. There was a little dresser with a mirror above it, and on the dresser were various tubes and polishes. Flora sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to her. I sat down.

"I'm sorry, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit shy. I like you, but I just find myself so embarrassed." She looked up at me with a sad smile. "So I guess you're sleeping here, which would mean you're going to sleep with me in my room tonight, huh? Well, you can have the bed, I would rather sleep on the floor, if you don't mind." I shook my head, happy that we were finally talking.

"No, I don't mind. Actually, it will be nice to sleep in a bed for once." I said. She smiled and grabbed my hand again. "Hey, where are we going?" I asked, laughing slightly. She smiled at me.

"We're giving you a bath! You smell!" I giggled.

Flora opened the bathroom door, and began to fill up the tub. She put some kind of bubble-bath in there and it smelled really good, like daisies.

"Okay, get in." I blanched.

"In front of you?" She nodded.

"You need someone to wash your hair and wash your back, don't you? It won't be any different as if a nurse was doing it." She had a point, so I climbed into the tub.

She scrubbed my short black hair, but it wasn't rough like when the nurses at my orphanage had done it. It was like she was massaging my hair. Then, she rinsed it out and rubbed something else in. It felt weird, almost slimy.

"Eew, what is that?" I asked. She giggled.

"It's conditioner, it'll make your hair soft and easy to comb."

"Oh." I stopped asking questions after that and let her wash my back. I scrubbed my face and arms, which were the dirtiest. Then, my legs and everywhere else. I stood up, pulled out the drain and took the towel Flora handed me. It was soft and fluffy and it felt good against my skin. Flora handed me a small bottle.

"Lotion. I'll get your back again, but you're drier that sand. It's not good to be so dry! You should probably shave. Here, I'll get you a disposable razor." She disappeared for a moment while I smoothed lotion all over myself.

She returned with a little pink razor and a bottle of shaving-cream.

"I stole these from my sister, but don't tell her that." She said, giggling.

"So devious." I said, joking. She giggled again and sat down with her back against the counter.

I sat on the edge of the bath tub and shaved my legs. She had been right, I needed to shave. Afterwards, I felt so much more lady-like.

I rubbed some more lotion on my freshly hair-free legs and smiled. Now I felt like the real Meredith Stone. Fresh, clean and ready for action.

"Come back to my room, and I'll have some clothes set out for you." She said, handing me a comb and leaving the bathroom. I combed my hair and wrapped my towel snugly around my body, then opened the door and made my way towards Flora's room.

'Let's see,' I thought. 'Flora's room is two doors down, so...one..two!'

I grabbed the handle and turned it.

"Ah! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I-" I had walked into the tall guy's room, the one with the blue blazer...and he had his shirt off.

"Oh-" I slammed the door shut and raced towards the second door on the right, realizing that I had opened the one on the left.

"Wow Meredith," Flora said as I slammed the door and leaned against it. "You look like you've seen a ghost." I shook my head, breathing heavily. Why did I feel so...strange? I had never felt this way before!

"N-no, I just walked in on that tall guy...in the blue jacket..." I stammered. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Clive? You walked in on him naked-" I shook my head.

"No, he only had his shirt off, but still! That was..." She took me by the shoulders.

"We'll talk about it later, first, let's get you into some clothes."

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><p><strong>AN: Who do you think Meredith has a bit of a crush on? Sorry, I didn't really touch on Meredith's personality this chapter. I will next one, I promise.**

**Please review!**

**PS. You may use Meredith Stone in your stories if you want to, just give credit.**

**MikuLover~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Our power just went out, and I was working on "Tales From A NOT So Popular etc." and I was working on the home computer. Of course, I hadn't saved in a while, so all of my data is gone. NO! Curse you, crappy weather! DX But, luckily, my laptop has a bit of charge left, so I'll use that.**

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><p>"So let me get this straight. You walked on Clive with his shirt off, but he wasn't naked?" I nodded, totally embarrassed.<p>

"Yeah, but I was naked! Man, he must think I did it on purpose!" Flora shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. He's not that kind of guy Meredith. He'll understand."

"I still feel awful! That's such a weird experience." She nodded sympathetically and led me to the bed, where she had laid out several outfits. I looked over the different clothes and tried to think.

There was a little white dress with black leggings. A maybe.

Next was a teal-and-brown tie dye shirt with a teal skirt. No way.

A pink shirt with purple shorts. Definitely no!

But there was one outfit that caught my eye.

A white button-down shirt with an evergreen-colored skirt. Perfect!

"I'll wear this one!" Flora wrinkled her nose.

"Really? That outfit always looks horrible on me." I nodded, pulling on underwear and a bra, both of which were Flora's.

"Yes, I really like it. Maybe it will look good on me." She gave me a look that said, 'I doubt it'.

"Oh wow!" I breathed, spinning slowly, watching myself in the mirror.

"Meredith, you look so cute! That outfit is totally perfect for you!" Flora squealed. It did look awesome. "You can keep it. It never looked good on me, and I was about to give it away anyways." I was shocked, but that didn't mean I wasn't happy.

"Really?" She nodded. "Oh, thank you Flora! You're so awesome!" I hugged her tightly and we both jumped up and down, teen-chick movie style.

"Meredith? Flora? It's time for dinner!" Flora and I let go.

"Coming Emmy!" She yelled.

"Who's Emmy?" I asked, confused. She smiled.

"My mom...of sorts. She's the Professor's wife. You'll like her, she's super nice." I nodded and thought about the prospect of meeting yet ANOTHER new person. Luke caught up with us on the stairs.

"Hey Meredith! You look nice." I giggled.

"Aw, thanks Luke. You do too." He cocked a head to one side.

"I haven't changed." Flora and I giggled together, making Luke roll his eyes. "Girls." He muttered.

"So," I said, trying to play it cool, "does Clive have a wife?"

"Oh no," Luke piped up. "Only a girlfriend, but they're still in college, so I don't think they'll be getting married anytime soon." I felt something squeeze inside of me, and then immediately freaked.

Why did I feel like this about Clive? It was a totally new feeling, I had never felt this way about ANYONE before! I felt tears well in the corners of my eyes. Was something wrong with me? Was I sick?

"Hey- Meredith! Are you okay?" I startled.

"Oh yeah, Luke. I'm just fine. Just fine." I said, trying to clear my head.

"Okay, if you say so." But Luke kept his eyes on me the rest of the ways downstairs.

"Hello Meredith." I looked up to see the yellow-woman smiling at me.

"Hi." She smiled even wider, but it seemed genuine.

"I'm Emmy, Flora and Luke's mum." I shook her hand.

"I'm Meredith, Flora and Luke's...um, friend." Emmy laughed and led me to the seat next to Flora and- I noticed with a jolt- Clive.

"Is this seat alright?" Alright? It was fantastic! Not only did I get to sit next to my new best friend, I got to sit next to Clive! Serious score!

"Yeah, it's really nice." I sat down and watched as the food was passed around. As I stuck a forkful of meatloaf into my mouth, I discovered something else about Emmy. She was an awesome cook.

"Oh yeah!" Flora said, around a mouthful of broccoli. "I forgot to introduce these two. Meredith, this is Clive, and that is Katia." From the way Clive was feeding Katia, I got the feeling this was his girlfriend.

"Do you live here too?" I asked Katia, trying to be friendly despite my sudden urge to punch her. She shook her head.

"No, but I might as well. I'm always hanging out around here." Clive turned to face me.

"Where are you from Meredith?" I blushed and almost choked on my meatloaf.

"Uh, Bamhurg- I mean Hamburg." I sighed and stared down at my shoes.

"Hey, my dad was always traveling there for business! I went down a few times, it's a nice little place!" I brightened. Clive thought my town was nice!

"Yeah, it's a fun place to live. Too bad I had to run away." I said, trying to be dramatic and get some sympathy from Clive.

"That is too bad. But I have a feeling you'll like London better. It's fun in a whole other way, if you know what I mean." I smiled up at him. He was so dreamy!

"I know EXACTLY what you mean!" Katia smiled.

"You're so cute, especially that outfit you're wearing. Where'd you get it?" At least she was nice. But I couldn't exactly forgive her yet. Not when she had stolen my Clive. I felt myself freeze. MY Clive? Since when had I started thinking that? And then, with a horrible jolt, I realized that I was...in LOVE with Clive! "Uh, Meredith? I asked where you got your outfit." Katia said, giggled slightly.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to let my mind wander. I don't know where I got it, it's Flora." She smiled again and put a dainty spoonful of potatoes into her mouth.

"Well, it looks very good on you." Maybe Katia wasn't that bad after all.

Dinner was full of different conversations, most of them like, "Meredith, what do you like to do?" and "What's your favorite part of Hamburg?" and other things like that.

After dinner came the best part of the evening- dessert! And not only was Emmy an excellent cook, she was also great at baking. She made us double-chocolate brownies, and I noticed everyone took one- except for the Professor.

"Hey Professor, don't you want one?" I asked, in total chocolate heaven. He shook his head and smiled.

"Oh no, thank you Meredith. I just say I'm not too fond of sweets." He said, winking. That must be how he stayed so thin, I thought.

After dinner, we all gathered in the living room. For the first time in years, I felt like I was part of a real family. Flora and I were playing cards, and pretty soon Luke joined in.

"Go fish!" I crowed in triumph, while Luke moaned.

"What are you, some kind of Go Fish magician?" He laughed. I shrugged.

"It's the only card game that the little kids at the orphange knew how to play, so I got a lot of practice, to say the least." Luke nodded.

"I see. Got any twos Flora?" Flora grinned at him. "Oh come on! You're not serious?"

"Deadly serious," She said, smirking, "go fish, loser." He laughed and pulled another card for the pile.

After we had both creamed Luke at Go Fish, (he had over twenty cards at the end) Flora and I headed upstairs for bed. I was already showered, so i picked up one of Flora's manga books to read while she took her bath.

It was an okay book, and once I figured out how to read it, I started to get into it. It was called "Stepping on Roses", and it was about a young girl named Sumi who was poor and pulled into a sham marriage. I was about halfway through when Flora walked back in.

"Enjoying your read?" She asked, drying her hair with a pink towel. Geez, was she obsessed with pink or something?

"Yeah, this is a really cool book! Do you think I could borrow it sometime?" She nodded and pulled on her pjs.

"Anytime, my friend." She threw me a pair of soft blue pjs and I slipped into them, feeling comfortable at once. The rain was still coming down, and the window was still open, so it was pretty chilly in Flora's room.

"Hey Flora, I've got an idea. Instead of you sleeping on the floor, why don't we just share the bed? I'm sure both of us could fit!" She beamed.

"Really?" I nodded, excited.

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" She thought about it, combing her long, brown hair.

"Okay, sounds awesome." We painted each others nails until Emmy and the Professor came up to tell us it was time for bed.

We crawled into the bed and snuggled down into the soft blankets.

"Goodnight girls." Emmy said, kissing us each in the forehead. "Sweet dreams." The Professor hugged us both, and already I found myself thinking of him as a father.

"Goodnight Professor!" I said, hugging him back tightly.

"Goodnight Meredith." He said, smiling down at me.

Emmy and the Professor shut the door, and the only light Flora and I had now was her little (of course,) pink nightlight. I rolled over on my side to face her.

"I get the feeling that you like the color pink." She giggled.

"Yeah, it's my favorite color! So what tipped you off?" I shrugged and chuckled.

"Nothing, only the fact that your whole room is pink, you wear pink, and- oh yeah, you had me paint your nails pink." She smiled.

"Pink, pink, pink! I could never get tired of hearing that word!" I sighed. I could though. I stared at my own fingernails, which Flora has painted a silvery color. It wasn't quite grey, and it wasn't quite blue. It was shiny though, and I liked the way it looked on me. My nurse had always said subtle colors looked better on me.

"Flora," she hmm-ed and rolled over to face me. "Do you ever stop to think what your life would be like if you were someone else? Because I do, and I can't tell if that makes me weird or not." Flora sighed.

"No, I don't think so. I do it all the time." There was a pause. "But, I do something really weird, you wanna hear? I sometimes wonder what it's like to be a boy." She giggled and blushed, burrowing her face into her blankets. "I know, I'm a freak! But I'm just curious!" I laughed and pulled the sheets away from her face.

"No, I do that too! In fact, I think every girl has done it at some point in their life." We giggled together as the thought of being boys played around in our minds.

"What're you afraid of?" Flora said, suddenly serious. "I'm afraid of dogs, because when I was little, a stray bit me and it scared me to death. I also don't really like the doctors office." I thought about it. It was a tough question.

"I don't really like the dark." I said, feeling a bit babyish. "I mean, it's not the actual dark that scares me, it's not being able to see." I giggled for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Isn't it funny how you can watch a scary movie or show in the daytime and not be scared, but then at night you totally freak out?" Flora gasped and sat up, clapping her hands together.

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean! Why, just the other day Clve and Luke made me watch The Shining and I couldn't sleep! I was so afraid of Jack Torrence popping his head in my room and yelling 'Here's Johnny!'" We both laughed, and I felt closer to Flora now. It was no longer award between us, but then again, it never had been.

"Hey Flora," I asked, softly.

"Yes?"

"Do you think we can be friends...forever?" She hugged me tightly.

"We all ready are!"

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, before you perverts out there start making comments about Flora and Meredith sleeping in the same bed, I'm sure most of you have done this with a close friend. And FYI, they're kids.**

**Thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews I have received!**

**Reviews are much appreciated.**

**MikuLover~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Meredith is on the brain, y'all!**

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><p>Sunlight was creeping through Flora's dainty little curtains, and it woke me up. Someone must have closed the curtains while we were asleep.<p>

Yawning, I stretched and rolled over to face the window. From Flora's bedroom, there's a great view of downtown London. I watched the little cars go by, and those tiny people scatter on the sidewalks and in the roads. Yes, the city of London truly is alive.

"Ah, what a view." I whispered to myself. For the first time since I'd met her, I began to feel a little jealous of Flora. Hopefully, this ugly feeling would go away soon.

Flora was still asleep, and I was getting hungry. I could smell someone making breakfast, and I guessed it was Emmy. Just the thought of that woman's cooking made my mouth water. I decided that I couldn't take it anymore, so I carefully pulled myself over Flora and made for the kitchen.

"Goodmorning Meredith! Did you sleep well?" The Professor asked me over his newspaper. I nodded and took the seat across from him, mainly because that was the seat next to Clive. He looked so hot in his t-shirt and blue mesh shorts. Like my knight in shining cotton.

"I slept great, I just got hungry, so I decided to come down without Flora." Emmy laughed.

"Good, I'm glad. You should know that you aren't joined at the hip with Flora. If you get hungry or need to use the loo, feel free to."

"Well, thank you. I'm flattered." Emmy took a plate down from one of the cabinets and walked back to the stove.

"Now, what can I get you for breakfast? Sausage? Hotcakes? Eggs?" I felt overwhelmed by all of the choices, so I stammered a little while I was answering.

"W-wow...that's a lot of selections." Emmy grinned sheepishly and whispered in my ear.

"The truth is, all of those things were about to expire, so I made them all today. Left overs won't expire as quickly." Dang, she was smart.

"Well, in that case, some of all please!" The Professor laughed and Emmy winked. She slid a full plate towards me, and I attacked it as if it had insulted my mother. In no time at all, I had finished it all.

"G-good morning." Flora yawned, stumbling into the kitchen.

"It's about time!" Emmy said, handing her a plate similar to mine. "I was starting to worry about you. Thought you might've gotten sick." Flora gave a funny little crooked grin.

"Where would I have gotten sick?" Emmy shrugged. Flora spooned some of eggs into her mouth and chewed slowly, like she was exhausted.

"Meredith," the Professor said, "the lady that I said might be interested in taking you in is coming over today. She's a friend of mine, and she'll be happy to take you, but it's your decision as to whether or not you want to go with her." I nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable talking about this.

"Who is it?" Flora asked, suddenly wide awake. Mr. Layton winked.

"I think Meredith should be surprised." I felt better now that we weren't talking about that. I accepted the fact that I was an orphan, not to have would have been stupid on my part. Still, it was awkward to have to talk about it in front of my new friends, and my crush.

"Meredith, why don't you go upstairs to change? She'll be here soon." I obliged and walked up the stairs, feeling overwhelmed by all of the questions in my head.

Would the Professor's friend really like me?

Would I like her?

What was she like?

Was she married or single?

Did she already have kids?

I caught a glance of myself in the mirror and stopped to look. I was skinny, and not very tall, but at least I wasn't puny like Luke. My eyes were an icy blue color, and my short, black, shaggy hair went down to my chin. I looked unusually pretty in Flora's olive skirt and white shirt.

Sighing, I opened the bedroom door and walked the stairs, anxious to meet the Professor's friend.

I waited around with Flora, and we (meaning Flora, Luke and I) played scrabble for a while, and then we sat around and talked. It was sort of sad.

"So," I said, feeling like crying. "If we live close by...I'll visit often." Flora and Luke nodded, and they too looked like they were gonna cry.

"I'm sure you'll have fun..." Luke said, looking suddenly down at his shoes.

"Yeah. All of the Professor's friends are very nice..." I thought I saw a tear slip down her cheek, but she looked down too quickly for me to see.

The doorbell rang.

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><p><strong>AN: Any guesses on who the lady at the door is? She was mentioned in "Tales etc."! :)**

**Review please!**

**MikuLover~**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is the last chapter of this series! I will start a new one soon!**

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><p>"Hello? Sarah, is that you?" A woman in a piano dress and a little black jacket walked in. She also had a black beret on, and her whitish-blonde hair was pulled into two pigtails. She smiled as the Professor took her coat. I liked her almost at once.<p>

"Yes, it's me. Thank you, Professor. Now, where is this Meredith Stone that I keep hearing so much about?" She turned to face me and smiled. "Ah, you're just as beautiful as Hershel described! I wish I had your pretty eyes!" I wished I had hers, they were a pretty shade of grey.

"Yes, I'm Meredith. And you are?" I stuck out a hand and she shook it firmly.

"I'm Sarah Jane Albatross, possibly your new guardian. Why don't we talk things over in the living room?" We all sat down and began to discuss things. Sarah began by telling me about herself.

"Well," She said, tuggin the skirt of her dress down, "there's not much to tell, honestly. I have a mother and a sister who live far off, I own a piano shop called "Piano Girl", and I've always wanted a daughter. My apartment has an extra bedroom, you know." I liked her. A lot.

"I can't wait to live with you." I said, smiling. Sarah squealed and clasped her hands together, shuffling her feet excitedly. Mr. Layton held up a hand.

"First, we have to call your orphanage and tell them we found you. Then we have to say that Sarah here wishes to adopt you. The whole process and paperwork could take a few days." I nodded and Sarah waved a hand at him.

"Oh, rubbish! I don't care about paperwork, not as along as Meredith can live with me!" At least she was really excited. I was too.

"I'll call them now. Meredith, if you can come with and give me the number?" I followed like the good girl I was.

After we had called, (and believe it or not, they had been worried about me!) they said that it was wonderful that I had finally found a mother.

"And to think, all it took was her running away!" Mrs. Peggy, the owner there, said laughing. The Professor chuckled slightly, but I could tell he wasn't too fond of Mrs. Peggy.

Sarah had to leave for a while to do paperwork, so I got to spend a few more days with the Laytons. By the time she came back, I was sad to go.

"Goodbye Meredith! Visit soon!" Everyone called, waving. I clutched my jacket tighter around myself. I was trying not to cry.

"I...I don't want to go!" I cried, running into the Professor's arms. He hugged, though I could tell he was a bit startled. I pulled away, tears streaming. Flora and Luke hugged me, and Flora had made me a friendship bracelet. She tied it around my wrist.

"Here," She said, looking proud of herself. "Now our friendship will always be with you!" Luke blushed and hugged me quickly.

"Uh, bye Meredith. I'll miss you! Promise me you'll come visit every holiday and just whenever you feel like it!" I crossed my heart.

I stood there crying, feeling like a baby, but I really loved them all.

Clive walked over and bent down.

"Hey, don't be sad. We'll see you again real soon, I promise!" Gosh, he was so charming.

"P-promise?" I choked. Clive saluted me.

"Of course, a true gentleman always keeps his promises, eh?" He hugged me...and then kissed me on the cheek! My whole face lit up bright red and I touched the spot where his lips had been.

Clive had kissed me!

We walked out to Sarah's car, which was a black volkswagen. I loved it almost as much as I loved Sarah.

"Goodbye!" I yelled, waving as we pulled out of the driveway. Everyone waved, and I watched as they all got smaller, and then finally disappeared. Sighing, I watched the road go past through the window.

I wasn't sad anymore.

After all...it was just another adventure for Meredith Stone.

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><p><strong>AN: I love cheesy endings! Sorry if it felt rushed, I wasn't quite sure how to end this series. Maybe Meredith will be featured in "Tales etc."!**

**Review if you read, and thanks to all who stuck with me through this!**

**I love you all!**

**MikuLover~**


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